Statistics matters in interpretations of non-traditional stable isotopic data

• 作者: Chun-Hui Li
• 来源期刊: 地球化学学报(英文）
• 关键词: Isotopic data processing Error propagation Significant digits Difference between means with uncertainties
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（2）
• 页码范围: 271-279
• 页数: 8页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1007/s11631-020-00401-x

摘要

Increasing volumes of of non-traditional stable isotope data have brought new opportunities to gain important insights into geochemical and planetary processes. However, there is a worrysome trend that the isotopic data are interpreted in a fashion that its statistical approaches are chosen subjectively. This communication summarizes the rules regarding calculating the mean, standard deviation and relative standard deviation of a population, as well as error propagation and significant digits. These rules should be used when reporting geochemical data, especially for isotope ratios. Using two examples, I show that statistics matters in isotopic data interpretation.